STUDIES IN MICROBIC HEREDITY XI. THE GENETIC ORIGIN OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS ALBUS AND AUREUS FROM COMMON ANCESTRAL STRAINS

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Abstract
58 strains were studied serologically and also tested for mannitol fermentation to compare them with classifications by others. Divergent reports of others are discussed. A non-pigmented strain of Staphylococcus is described, which the authors regard as a probable common ancestor of distinct strains of Staph. aureus and Staph. albus. The aureus strains represent a dissociation of a strain possessed of "specific," "pig-mented" agglutinogen, potentially present in the parent non-pigmented strain. This pure parent strain contains as its antigenic components at least 2 distinct "aureus" agglutinogens and at least 1 "albus" agglutinogen. In the 58 strains studied, relatively few of the apparently pure "aureus" agglutinogens were closely related to these groups in the common ancestor strain. It is suggested that they may have originated from other similar ancestral strains with multiple agglutinogens. On the other hand, the majority of the albus strains were similar in the "white" agglutinogen of the "parent" strain. It seems probable that this represents 1 of several aboriginal saprophytic strains that became dissociated into the more parasitic albus and aureus strains. This dissociation may be a mechanism of adaptation when a strain becomes pathogenic.

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